Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Planning Commission Approves CG Text Amendment by Unanimous Vote

CORDwishes to thank Amanda Burden, Purnima Kapur, Winston Von Engel, Jen Posner, and all of the the City Planning Commissioners for UNANIMOUSLY voting in favor of the Carroll Gardens Zoning Text Amendment.

For the latest, read Gowanus Lounge.com and Curbed.com

From: www.curbed.com

Caroll Gardens Close to Going Tumor-Free After Planning Vote

Wednesday, July 2, 2008, by Robert

The long running fight in Carroll Gardens to change city zoning so that very narrow streets are actually defined that way for zoning purposes, limiting the heights of new buildings, passed the City Planning Commission this morning. Old zoning has defined streets that are 50 feet wide (counting sidewalks) and that can barely handle parked cars and still allow one to drive up the middle as being up to 130 feet wide because front yards are counted (the "gardens" in Carroll Gardens). The change means a reduction in the height of new buildings from up to seven stories on "wide" streets" to five stories on "narrow" streets. It also helps eliminate large tumor additions to existing buildings. There's a final City Council vote on July 23 and the measure is expected to pass. A bigger neighborhood downzoning that many residents are pushing for is still at least two years away, however.· Carroll Gardens Streets to Get Narrower (on Paper) [Curbed]· Carroll Gardens Zoning Text Amendment [nyc.gov]

July 2nd, 2008 ·

The “narrow streets” zoning text amendment that would redefine a number of narrow Carroll Gardens streets as actually being narrow for zoning purposes was passed by the City Planning Commission today by a unanimous vote. The measure would define the streets as 50 wide rather than the current 130 feet (which counts front gardens) and cut the height of future buildings from a maximum of seven stories to five stories. The measure will go to the City Council on July 23 where it is expected to be approved by a wide margin. An overall Carroll Gardens downzoning is still a number of years in the future, even though local officials and community groups have been pushing for immediate action. The Zoning Text Amendment moved relatively quickly through the process because it wasn’t subject to a full land use review.

CORD HISTORY:

With the "Protect Our Homes" petition, CORD was formed in May, 2007. This petition arose as an overwhelmingly negative response to the coming of the over-sized 360 Smith Street Development at the corner of Smith Street and Second Place (Aka Oliver House; aka 131 Second Place). This petition, which had well over three thousand signatures, led to a new zoning text amendment in summer of 2008.

To: Our Elected Officials, Community Leaders, The MTA:(MAY, 2007)

We the undersigned Carroll Gardens homeowners and residents, are appalled by the "as of right" ruling which allows owners and developers to erect buildings in our neighborhood with no regard to the impact they will present to our quality of life and the value of our homes........http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?crlgrdns